"Smuggle Truck," an online game set to debut in March, allows players to drive a rickety truck through what resembles the U.S-Mexican border, over cliffs, mountains, dead animals and even babies. COURTESY OWLCHEMY LABS/ TEXT BY CINDY CARCAMO

For some people, illegal immigration is a serious national issue; for others, it's a game.

Literally, it's now a game.

"Smuggle Truck," an online game set to debut in March, allows players to drive a rickety-looking truck through what resembles the U.S.-Mexican border over cliffs, mountains, dead animals and even babies. As the truck hits obstacles, immigrants – resembling South Park characters - fall off the truck's bed.

The game's creator, Alex Schwartz, calls the game an "interactive satire."

The mobile application, which calculates scores by the number of immigrants helped crossing the U.S. border, has drawn the ire of immigration activists who call it inappropriate and said it trivializes the dangerous reality of those crossing the border.

"This game mocks the human tragedy that represents undocumented migration. Dying at the border is not a game," said Jorge-Mario Cabrera, spokesman for Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. "Leaving your land and your family behind in search of a better life is not a game."

The game was inspired by the frustration that friends of friends felt trying to legally immigrate to the U.S., Schwartz said on the game's website.

"As we lived through a painful 12 months of our friend struggling through the absurd legal minefield that surrounds U.S. immigration, we felt that we should create a game that touches on the issue," the company's statement said. "The comment was thrown around that 'it's so tough to legally immigrate to the U.S., it's almost easier to smuggle yourself over the border,' and thus Smuggle Truck was born.''

The game rewards careful drivers with a "Green Card" if they save passengers' lives. The "Smugglers Run" award goes to reckless drivers who speed through the desert terrain with a minimum of one safe passenger.

The proposed iPhone and iPad application was created by Owlchemy Labs and is set to be released in March if Apple approves.

While the developers of the game may be successful at marketing and selling the game, "it fails to positively contribute to a dialogue about this very serious issue," Cabrera said.

The creators of the game said they avoided stereotypes. However, immigration activists point to a video trailer for the game that showed cartoon babies bouncing out of the truck, according to the Boston Globe.

The developers have even opened up the game to a contest to add suggestions and new levels. The winner gets to have his or her face on one of the immigrants in the game.

"Smuggle Truck," an online game set to debut in March, allows players to drive a rickety truck through what resembles the U.S-Mexican border, over cliffs, mountains, dead animals and even babies. COURTESY OWLCHEMY LABS/ TEXT BY CINDY CARCAMO
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles said that while the developers of the game may be successful at marketing and selling the game, "it fails to positively contribute to a dialogue about this very serious issue." COURTESY OWLCHEMY LABS/ TEXT BY CINDY CARCAMO
The creators of the game said they avoided stereotypes. However, immigration activists point to a video trailer for the game that showed cartoon babies bouncing out of the truck, according to the Boston Globe. COURTESY OWLCHEMY LABS/ TEXT BY CINDY CARCAMO
The game rewards careful drivers with a "Green Card" if they save passengers' lives. The "Smugglers Run" award goes to reckless drivers who speed through the desert terrain with a minimum of one safe passenger. COURTESY OWLCHEMY LABS/ TEXT BY CINDY CARCAMO
The developers even have opened up the game to a contest to add suggestions and new levels. The winner gets to have his or her face on one of the immigrants in the game. COURTESY OWLCHEMY LABS/ TEXT BY CINDY CARCAMO
The proposed iPhone and iPad application was created by Owlchemy Labs and is set to be released in March if Apple approves. COURTESY OWLCHEMY LABS/ TEXT BY CINDY CARCAMO
As the truck hits obstacles, immigrants—resembling South Park characters—fall off the truck's bed COURTESY OWLCHEMY LABS/ TEXT BY CINDY CARCAMO
"This game mocks the human tragedy that represents undocumented migration. Dying at the border is not a game," said Jorge-Mario Cabrera, spokesman for Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. "Leaving your land and your family behind in search of a better life is not a game." COURTESY OWLCHEMY LABS/ TEXT BY CINDY CARCAMO
The game's creator Alex Schwartz calls the game an "interactive satire" on their website. COURTESY OWLCHEMY LABS/ TEXT BY CINDY CARCAMO
Alex Schwartz, the creator of the game, states that the idea was inspired by the frustration felt by friends of friends who tried to legally immigrate to the United States. COURTESY OWLCHEMY LABS/ TEXT BY CINDY CARCAMO
"As we lived through a painful 12 months of our friend struggling through the absurd legal minefield that surrounds U.S. immigration, we felt that we should create a game that touches on the issue," the company's statement said about the creation of the game. "The comment was thrown around that 'it's so tough to legally immigrate to the U.S., it's almost easier to smuggle yourself over the border,' and thus Smuggle Truck was born. COURTESY OWLCHEMY LABS/ TEXT BY CINDY CARCAMO
The mobile application, which calculates scores by the number of immigrants helped crossing the U.S. border, has drawn the ire of immigration activists who call it inappropriate and say it trivializes the dangerous dangerous reality for those crossing the border. COURTESY OWLCHEMY LABS/ TEXT BY CINDY CARCAMO

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